The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-14

CruE to the City OF Mexico. Today
there are 2700 miles of American rail
way in operation distributed as fol-
lows:
Nexisan Central ran way...-.......,."...... sei
Mexican , atiOnsl railroad.-".........'' ~!
esnoTA ~
International lHuntin gton,D .""..".... 2Ig
Small hnes.....' ..,..........''''''''''''''''' VO
a,7s
There are also 1875 miles in Texas,
irtm La.edo 10 Corpus Christi, built
BY the National to give itself avent to
the sesboard. and which are q part OF
lis system. In addition to this, the
Central is engaged in further gradual
building, and the National has ust
started work on q divis.oi OF 400 miles
completing Its main line 10 the United
NtBtrs. There is now In all Mexico q
total milesge OF a little over $500
milee; the American proportion OF
the system is, therefore, now three
iourths of the whole, and this proper
ton Is rapidly Increasing.
There hrs been put into these rail-
ways NncludiRg advanced construc.
ton already undertaken and other
enterprises allied with them, over
$3.50, 900 900 Il cash, all American or
procured by American effort, and rep
resented by American securities. The
face VALUES OF the various securities
issued by these railways and sfsocia-
ted companies foot up nearly $780,
oC0,0t0, which is about one fifth 1.-THE
national debt OF the United States
bearing interest.
In the wake of the railways there
have followed mining companies,
tramway companies, telegraph compa.
niep, land and coloniz ton compa-
MES, coal and iron companies, etc :,
etc., whose capital stock, and In many
eases bonds, 1t is almost impossible to
estimate, but many well informed per-
sons think that It's aggregate would
equal the aggregate Of railway invest
ment. This is the measure OF the
faith which the people Of the United
States bad in the commercial regenera-
ton OF Mexico through the railways
q faith which the people OF Mexico
have not had themselves, as they have
steadily refused to invest In railway
securities. The home aid 10 the rail-
ways In M xico has been from the
government and not from the people.
Now how has Mexico resp )nded to
this ventureH Are thers any evi'
dences Ct changed or changing condi-
tione, social or economical or politi.
GAL, which will show the judgment OF
the American railway builders to
have been q wise oneY In other
woI DIS what have bean the results ?
The results 30 far are clearly marked
and apparently such as TO vindicate
the work and the very heavy invest.
ment goirg on under 1t. Briefly, the
leading changes which the rail way
leaveh has made in Mexico are as fol-
lows:
!. Mexico has been brought into
connestion with the world. In 1872,
when the fret American railways
were projected in Mexico, but nothing
built ewing to the panic OF 1873, 1t
took q teleg am from the City Of Mex
loo from week to- ten days to reach
New York, aud then 1t came up man
gled by transmission through Spanish
and American operators. Now the
telegrsphic service Is prompt and in
telligent A message can 70 and be
answered in day. Then the trans
mission of money to and from Mexico
was huge labor and hazardous. Now
the Oity OF Mexico has much the same
banking and exchange relations with
New York rs Amsterdam or other
great centers. Then mail went only
twice q month by slow steamers; now
daily by express railway trains.
3. Politically peace has come to the
disturbed land through the establish
ment OF law and order. Roads have
done for Mexico what they did for
Rome under the Cniars, or for Eng
land under tho g aoIges
8. Economically the commercial and
induRIrial development OF the country
set In at oncs and Is advancing slowly
Tor Mexicaus are slow to change, or
at least to come into our ways-but
still it is advancing steadily and sure.
ly. Perhaps what looks slow to US IL
really rapid from the Mexican poin'
OF view. The last ten years have
worked for Mexico a social revolution
= greater than any ever worked there
before in a centuIy's time. The evi.
denoes Of this development are moi
argumentalivs, but can be summed NJ
in achieved results, some Of which arr
the following;
There has been a steady and con
tinuous increase in the earnings o
railways. The receipts both q tn,
Central and National show stead,
gains from year 10 year, This yea
the gains are very large, aud the othe
roads are sharing in Tho general rise
Since the railway era tho govern
ment revenues OF Mexico have ad
vanced e,esdly from 81; 100000 Il
1879 to SIS, 0O0,000 now. The bulge
OF 1887 SO IS based on an estimate q
$36,000 900 Income. A detailed invel
tigation of the government return
shows that this advances has not take
place in customs alone, butiu interns
taxes ss well. The development q
the country, therefore, has been syn
metrical and regular.
There are no means OF measuriu
the gro with Of internal trade and II
dustry in Mexico, exc apt so far rs tn
internal taxes may afford such mea
ure. The development OF trade wit
the world, hoyevIT, is measured wit
reasonable accuracy by the custom
duties. At least, while these duti
may not m asure the volume of Il
trade, because they leave out OF sigl
smuggling and illegitimate traffic, the
measure fairly enough the rate
progression. The following tlbl
showing the progress Of traffic betweC
this count y and Mexico for the Ia
eight years, presents very clearly Il
movement II increase. and is instru
i've aud suggestive in many resp GO,
Il is atable showing the value OF me
ehsndise, including coin and bullio
imported into the United States al
exported from the United States in
Mex co.
Yem BagG Total Tot. Inpo
ls7S'..'....S s.75f, 2SI Sll,tl7slS 81, s0s,
1850 ....... 1869 s64 lo,S25,tlf Abs,
lSsl............ ll,l72,TSs l7l5!,l26 2s,626,